Fillmore

History

In 1769, the Spanish Portola expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, came down the valley from the previous night's encampment near today's Rancho Camulos and camped in the vicinity of Fillmore on August 11. Fray Juan Crespi, a Franciscan missionary travelling with the expedition, had previously named the valley Cañada de Santa Clara. He noted that the party travelled about 9–10 miles and camped near a large native village. Founded in 1887 upon the arrival of the Southern Pacific Rail line, the city voted to incorporate in 1914, after a vigorous campaign by local business owners and the Fillmore Herald. In 1985, the city council voted to make English the city's official language. The resolution was repealed in 1999. At about 4:30am the morning of January 17, 1994, Fillmore sustained significant damage from the Northridge earthquake. It was the worst-hit community in Ventura County. No one in the community died or was injured, but over 200 buildings were damaged, including about one-fifth of the historical downtown that had been the center of numerous Hollywood films and TV shows. The quake caused an estimated $50 million in property damage and losses. Ultimately, 60 buildings needed to be torn down, and Fillmore rebuilt most of its downtown area.

Geography

Fillmore sits at the foot of Topatopa Mountains in the Santa Clara River Valley, below San Cayetano peak in the Los Padres National Forest. The Sespe Condor Sanctuary, where the critically endangered California condor is recovering, lies in the Topatopa range to the north. The town is famous for its many orange groves. Most houses are cottages, bungalows and old homes. Over half of all homes were constructed after 1970. The oldest buildings are found in downtown, which is centered around Central Avenue. Particularly the western part of the city has newer residential communities. Most businesses are located on Ventura Street (Highway 126). The nearby Sespe Creek is a tributary of the Santa Clara River. Fillmore is within a historic Ventura County agricultural and tree-farming belt. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. This region experiences hot and dry summers. Temperatures can easily reach above 100 degrees. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fillmore has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  5,650
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  4,674
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  4,467
• Lesser Goldfinch

  Spinus psaltria (Say, 1822) · Aves
  4,221
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,116
• California Towhee

  Melozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  3,765
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  3,740
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,634

Most recent

• M 2.56 — 2026-09-13
  27 km SSE of Malibu, CA
• M 2.65 — 2026-09-12
  4 km E of Lennox, CA
• M 2.62 — 2026-09-12
  5 km WNW of Willowbrook, CA
• M 3.07 — 2026-09-06
  4 km SSE of Compton, CA
• M 2.69 — 2026-08-18
  35 km NNW of Santa Barbara Is., CA
• M 2.63 — 2026-08-12
  9 km SW of Valencia, CA